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ASEEES MEMBERS REFLECT: On the Value of the ASEEES Convention
Why is the ASEEES convention important to you?
JL: Asking a scholar of Central European history why ASEEES is important is like asking ET why he wanted to phone home. I do not mean this in any nostalgic or sentimental way—though I have cultivated many dear friendships at ASEEES and look forward to seeing them annually. I and so many others rely on ASEEES as a primary site of exploration and conversation, where others know both literally and figuratively the languages we speak. Of course, there is a professional side to this as well. In earlier years, I hoped that the right exposure at ASEEES might help me to advance my career. Now I primarily seek partners for projects and new directions of thought… and the usual suspects with whom I pass joyous evenings at the hotel bar.
LK: I value the formal sessions and the informal opportunities to catch up with old friends and connect with people that I know only through their work. I always leave reenergized.
VA: The ASEEES convention is the only professional meeting–as far as I am aware–that brings together a large number of scholars who present work from an array of fields and on a wide geographic region. This allows for cross-pollination across disciplines and regions that is critical to generating new insights and exciting knowledge.
Are there particular shifts in your work that you would attribute to an ASEEES convention?
JL: My approach to my own research has evolved with my experience of ASEEES. I believe that I have been a regular attendee for the past thirteen years. For the first long while, I presented on panels that had national-territorial frames—in my case, Czechoslovakia—or which explored aspects of regional Jewish history. Perhaps this reflects my company more than larger trends, I have noticed a significant shift in panel organization towards themes that transcend these limited (and limiting) arenas. It has been an enlightening challenge, not only to prepare my arguments for a broader scholarly audience, but to design my research to speak meaningfully to bigger questions. ASEEES has demonstrated, time and again, the communal nature of scholarship and knowledge construction. Perhaps I am only witnessing the end of area studies as we knew it… but considering the emergence of ASEEES from that very context, it speaks volumes to the creativity of our society and our fields.
LK: An animated discussion at ASEEES about how wonderful it would be to have an English translation of Olga Berggolts’ memoir to share with students led me to undertake the translation — something I would never have done without this chance conversation.
VA: At the ASEEES conventions in the mid-2000s, I had the opportunity to meet scholars working on Central Europe and our conversations were critical in my gaining a greater understanding of regional similarities and comparative differences. They also proved to be wonderful colleagues as individuals and a real sense of scholarly camaraderie developed among us. Ultimately, working with affiliate presidents, I organized several receptions for all affiliate members at ASEEES conventions in those years, too.
Do you have a favorite memory of a past ASEEES convention?
JL: I’m not sure that I would call this a “favorite memory,” but there is one that sticks out from a number of years ago. Senior colleagues invited me to participate on their panel, which had a relatively ambitious theme. My presentation did not go well. As I looked out on the audience, I caught my friend’s eye—a scholar more advanced than me. They gestured to me to slow down… I likely did not. This memory stands out because I learned, in that moment, that this career requires a lifetime of effort; that I had made progress but had much further to go. My experience was, at best, bittersweet in the moment. Looking back, however, it exemplifies the role that ASEEES has played in my scholarly advancement, and why I return year after year. I am happy to report that my fellow panelists have become friends, even as they remain mentors. To that end, I could have noted the welcome I received by two colleagues—then newly minted PhDs, I think—when I attended for the first time as an early graduate student. Their warmth and guidance sustained and supported me. I hope that I have been able to play that role for others, if only in some small way.
LK: My favorite memory is of one of my first conventions. I knew almost no one, so I was happy to run into my advisor, Reggie Zelnik, who was distributing little strips of paper with the location of the Berkeley “smoker” — a bar away from the conference hotel. Throughout the conference, Reggie and I happened to keep showing up at the same panels. I remember that at every panel, Reggie asked the most incisive and generous questions that really helped people to develop their ideas. He set an example of conference going that I’m still working to follow.
VA: In 2002, I had just embarked on my dissertation research in Ljubljana, Slovenia. As a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania in a field (Folklore) that was not well represented at ASEEES, I traveled to Pittsburgh alone. However, in the two years prior to my fieldwork, I had begun commuting to Columbia in New York City to find interlocutors on Central Europe and had made connections with the “Columbia crowd.” One of their faculty invited me to come to the Columbia University reception. I crossed the Atlantic in cramped economy, found my way to the Pittsburgh hotel, and walked into the dark room of the Columbia University reception, hoping I might recognize someone relatively quickly. As I stepped in, Brad Abrams called out, “Everyone, it’s Veronica! And she’s very interesting!” As fireworks started to light the sky–for some Pittsburgh-sponsored celebration–I thought, all this might just work out.
What do you hope to see at an ASEEES Convention in the future?
JL: I would love to see more workshops on public history. This is not only because I currently run a Holocaust and genocide studies center. I have noticed more and more job postings that are looking for candidates with program administration experience. It would benefit the field and our students, I think, if we prepared them for the additional expectations currently placed upon humanities scholars.
VA: That it will continue to support new areas of scholarly research, pilot new programs, and so remain a premier organization for scholars of the region.
